4. Is this whole universe nothing but God

Is this whole universe nothing but God


But it is said in the Chhaandoya Upanishad, "Before Creation the universe was existent"; whilst the Taitreya Upanishad says, " It was
non-existent or nothing." Again the Vrikadaaranyaka Upanishad (Chapt. I,4,1) says "It was all spirit" and lastly the Shatapatha
Brahmanad (Chapt. 11: 1, 11, 1) says, "It was all God (Brahma)" and again "by His Own will the Great God transformed Himself into this
multiform universe." In another Upnishad it is written "Sarvam Khalu, etc.", which means "Verily this whole universe is God, all other
things are nothing but God."
A._ Why do you pervert the meanings of these quotations? For those very Upanishads it is said "Oshwetketo, proceed thou from
effects to causes and learn that prithivi (solids) proceed from liquids, apah (liguids) from teja - that condition of matter whose
properties are heat and light, ectc., - and teja from the uncreated prakriti. This prakriti - the true existence - is the source, abode and
support of the whole universe." What you have translated



As "this universe was non-existent" means that it was non-existent as universe in their gross physical and visible form. But it
existed in essence or in elementary form as the eternal prakriti. It was not nothing, God and the soul also were existent. Your
quotations which begins with "Sarvam khualu" is nothing but a pot-pouri, for, you have taken parts of two verses from two different
Upanishads and put them together and formed them into one sentence. "Sarva Khalu", etc., is tiken form the Chhaandogya
Upanishad ( chapt III: 14, 1) and Nehanaanaaa, from the Katha Upnishad (chapt. II:4,11).

Just as the limbs of the body are of use only so long as they form part of it, but become useless as soon as they are separated or
cut off form it, similarly you can get sense out of words or sentences when in their proper places in conjunction with what has gone
before and what follows them, but they become meaningless as soon as they are dislocated from their proper places and joined to
others.

Now mark carefully the true meaning of the above quotation. "Worship, thou, O soul, that Great Being Who is the Creator, the
Support, and the Life of the Universe. It is by His power that the whole universe come into being and is sustained, and it is in Him
that it exists, Worship Him alone and no other. He is an Indivisible, Immutable, Conscious Being. There is no admixture of different
things in Him, though all things with their distinct individual existence have their being in Him and are sustained by Him."

Satyarth Prakash

THE "LIGHT OF TRUTH" by Swami Dayanand